Tabula Rasa
by Rae Xavier
Summary: Nadia "The Gypsy" Romancek is fresh out of prison, and if she doesn't find a legit job soon, it's back to the big house for her. Crowley knows this, and has taken an interest in her various skill sets. What he doesn't know is that he's met The Gypsy before. Crowley/OFC.
1. Chapter 1

_**Tabula Rasa**_

 **Chapter One**

Nadia sighed and dropped into the ratty old recliner at the halfway house. She sat up and slipped her jacket from her shoulders, then swept her heavy brown waves up into a ponytail. Goosebumps pricked on the shaved sides of her head, and she hunched over in the chair and ran her fingers over the scalp tattoos there. _Another job interview gone bad._ If she didn't find a job soon… well, she didn't want to think about that right now. Not many places would hire convicted felons.

She couldn't go back to prison. Sure, she had friends there, but she could make friends on the outside, right? _Life's not meant to be lived behind bars._ Nadia still wasn't sure how she got out as early as she did. Couldn't have been for good behavior, she was almost one-hundred percent positive the warden knew she was smuggling in contraband to sell to her fellow inmates. They called her "The Gypsy," and it was pretty accurate. All she needed was a caravan and some brightly-colored scarves tied around her hips. She talked the talk, walked the walk, and she was the queen of bartering and bullshitting.

Nadia snorted, the bitterness screwing her face into a derisive smirk. _I could sell shit to a shepherd, but that don't count for shit if I don't have "on paper" experience._

She raised her gaze to the staircase where her roommate Erin sat with an un-lit cigarette in her mouth.

"No good?"

Nadia shook her head.

"No good. Going outside?"

"Yeah."

"Cool, I'm coming with you." Nadia got back up and shrugged her coat back on, taking a pack of Marlboros out of her pocket. She reached the stairs as Erin took the last step, and they linked arms and crept out the back door.

The little redhead lit her smoke and passed Nadia her lighter.

"What a waste of a good interview outfit. Seriously, you look fuckin' hot."

Nadia lit her cigarette and passed the lighter back to Erin. She inhaled deeply, held it, and then let the smoke roll out through her nose.

"Shut the fuck up." She looked down at the matte black heels and black pencil skirt. _Goddam right I look fuckin' hot._

"Fuck you, you do!"

Nadia snorted. "Not hot enough for an insurance office, apparently. Or too hot? I hadn't seen so many women sneer at me since prison, and even then, that was tame." She sighed and flicked ashes to the concrete patio. "If I don't get a legit job soon… I don't know, Erin. I might not have a choice. I found my cache, all of my tools and gear are still there."

Erin rubbed at her bottom lip and nodded. "I don't like it, but shit… you gotta do what you gotta do, sister. I'll keep my eyes peeled." She took a hard drag of her cigarette, then exhaled slowly. Her eyes darted back and forth and she licked her lips nervously. "I did see this crazy big mansion on the bus home today, security didn't look too bad–"

"Wait. No details, not yet. I've got one more job interview tomorrow. Let's see how that goes first."

"What for?"

"Secretary, some lawyer."

Erin quirked an eyebrow. "Really. You really think a lawyer is going to hire a convict?"

Nadia finished her cigarette and flicked it out into the street.

"He'd better, or it's back to the life."

* * *

Crowley poured himself another glass of scotch, his signature smirk spreading across his lips. He got her out of Camino Nuevo, and he made sure each interview was a bust. It was only a matter of time before she came to him. The trap was set. He decreased the patrols, and aside from a few necessary sigils, removed all magical wards. _Bloody clever, that woman. She'd sniff those out in a heartbeat._

He unbuttoned the lawyer's suit jacket and sat in the lawyer's chair, downing the glass of scotch in the process. With a snap of his fingers, the empty tumbler became a full, steaming mug of coffee. It was almost show time. He opened the left drawer and pulled out a mirror, checking the temporary meatsuit's appearance. _Bloody hell, I look like Jon Hamm gave up on acting to become a smarmy injury lawyer._ It was perfect.

Crowley looked at the clock. 8:59am. As it struck nine, there was a knock at the door. He grinned.

"Come in!"

* * *

Nadia opened the door reading "James A. Michaels, Esq." and stepped in. "Mind if I hang up my coat?" she asked, not waiting for an answer as she set down her briefcase and shrugged off the long, brown leather coat and hung it up. She shook off the cold and picked up her case again, turning to get a look at this James A. Michaels.

He was tall, a little more handsome than the average man, but he was just that, average. Something about him seemed off to her, though. A smell lingered in the air that reminded her faintly of blown-out matches and campfire. A memory flashed in her mind, hiding away in the hills of Scotland as a teen. Had she ever been there? The memory floated away like wisps of smoke in the rain.

He was standing behind his desk, and for a moment he seemed shocked. As quickly as the shock was there, it seemed to pass, and he stepped around the desk and held out a hand.

"Hello, Miss… uh… "

"Romancek," she offered, taking his hand to shake it.

"Romancek," he purred. He bent slightly at the waist and brought her hand to his lips. His mouth lingered a little too long; it made her skin crawl, but something told her this was familiar. She smelled rotten eggs, but behind it, the scent of damp moss and clean, wet grass blinked in and out. The memory flashed in again, but this time she felt the press of a thumb on the corner of her lips and someone's forehead pressed to hers.

Nadia tried to calm her heart rate. When the lawyer stood straight again and flashed her a grin, she returned his smile and cleared her throat. "May I sit?" He sat down and laughed.

"I'm sure you'll do it whether I give you permission or not, Miss Romancek. Go ahead, have a seat."

He only maintained eye contact until she sat, and then he made a show of letting his eyes slowly drift down her entire body, stopping at the hem of her skirt and back up to her eyes again. When his eyes met hers again, though, something changed in his face. Lust turned to longing, and his eyes flicked down to her lips as his breath hitched.

Nadia crossed her arms under her chest and drummed her fingertips against her bicep. This was starting to piss her off.

"Mr. Michaels, if you'd like me to come back another time–"

"No. Sorry, I… just didn't expect someone like you."

 _Here we go. Another fucking waste of time._ She gave him a once-over and smirked. _Eh. Might as well have some fun._ While he straightened himself up and looked through her resume and cover letter, Nadia let her mask slip on. Her eyes went wide and innocent, and she licked her lips to make them glisten.

"Someone like me?" She let her tightly crossed legs go a little slack, just enough to give a few more inches look up her skirt, but not enough to flash her panties. His eyes flicked to the movement, and she swore she heard a soft growl before his eyes locked on hers. They were dark and hungry, but cautious. He was a caged beast offered raw meat, but he knew damn well who was doing the offering.

Nadia leaned forward and placed both hands flat on the desk. She rose from her chair slowly, keeping her hands on the table, staying bent, letting him get a good look down her blouse. She stood straight and walked around behind the desk, and before he had a chance to react, she had him by the belt and yanked him to his feet.

"Wha–OOF!"

Nadia pushed him hard against the bookcase and climbed up a shelf to wrap her legs around his waist. She made quick work of his tie, slipping it from around his neck. She licked and nipped at his collarbone and rolled her hips. He responded with a low moan and yanked her closer, one arm around her waist and one hand firmly gripped to her ass. He flipped them and pressed her against the shelves, grinding hard and slow against the little bundle of nerves between her legs. She gasped and mewled her approval. _C'mon, Nadia, get control._ She gave his ear a nip and whispered, "Sit."

He lowered them to the chair, and as if under a spell, his caresses became gentle, and he pressed tender kisses to her throat. She got up from his lap and moved around behind him, lightly teasing his scalp with her fingernails. He let out a soft whine at the loss of her.

"Do you trust me?" she said as she bent down to drag her tongue along the shell of his ear. Her fingertips danced down his arms, and he went limp.

"Mmmmm…. Mm-hmm." He was practically in a trance, putty in her hands.

Nadia gave out a long, low chuckle.

"You shouldn't."

* * *

Before Crowley could ask what she meant, she had his hands tied behind the chair. _Cheeky girl._ He grinned up at her as she came around in front of him and made to unbutton her blouse.

"Hmmm… Should I?" She put a finger to her lips and looked up at the ceiling, pretending to think.

 _Yes, yes, you should, you definitely should._ He struggled to get free. He wanted to rip that pretty little blouse, right down the front.

His grin faded as she picked up her briefcase and walked to the coat rack.

"It's been fun, Jimmy. Catch you on the flipside."

Once he heard the door click, he smoked out of James and back to his own meatsuit that he'd left sitting in the closet. Crowley smoothed his hair back and adjusted his tie. He stepped out into the office to see James trying to break out of the chair.

"What the fuck?! How… YOU! What did you do?!"

" _Tabula rasa._ "

James went limp. Crowley snapped his fingers and set the office to rights, making it look like the sleazy lawyer simply fell asleep in his chair. And when he woke up, all of this would just be a weird dream.

Crowley teleported back to his home and collapsed on the couch in his office. Some weird dream, indeed. His thoughts drifted to the wild, beautiful gypsy girl who knew him as Fergus. She never gave her name, but he knew every curve of her body, and he knew those hazel brown eyes.

He had no idea when he set this up he'd be running into his gypsy again. All he knew was that he was chasing down a powerful witch, who for centuries remained unlinked to any demon, or any coven. She worked alone, constantly moving, not only employing her skills in magic, but her skills in assassination and thievery to survive and sock money away.

Now he knew where his gypsy was, and he knew she was the witch he'd been trying to catch all these years.

Crowley chuckled. Crowley laughed. And laughed.

 _Oh, my little gypsy. How I will make you suffer._

* * *

Author: Hi! Hope you liked it! Reviews are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 _A few nights later…_

Nadia waited until the clock hit 11pm. She knew the probie officer was most likely crashed in her office, having fallen asleep by now. She made sure of that when she slipped a few quick-melt melatonin sheets in her chamomile tea, about 15 milligrams, she guessed. It'd be enough to make her sleep through the night.

She slipped out of bed and stripped off her nightgown, then pulled a black duffel bag out from under her bunk. She heard Erin sit up and put on her glasses.

"Nadia, you going?"

"Yeah." She pulled her boots on over her black leggings and clicked the toggles of her tool harness shut. Her hair was pulled back in a tight braid, the excess hair wrapped in a bun at the base of her skull, kept in place by extra lockpicks. She tucked small throwing knives and syringes into the handmade sheathes around the calves of her boots. She hoped she wouldn't need them, but sometimes the universe had other plans for her.

"Did you check that place out?"

"Yeah. Just like you said, very minimal security." _No wards, either._ "I don't have the best feeling about this," she sighed, "but at this point, I don't have much of a choice."

Erin nibbled at her fingernails.

"Maybe you shouldn't go. I can get you a job at Tootie's, it's not glamorous, doesn't make much, but at least it ain't risky. Or illegal."

Nadia pinched the bridge of her nose and considered it for a moment. She shook her head and tugged a black stocking cap down over her hair.

"I'll be fine. In and out. My fence already has a heads up that I'm coming. I just need a couple hundred bucks worth of stuff, just enough to pay my share of rent. And don't even say you'll cover mine, I can't let you do that."

Nadia stood up and double-checked all of her tools and weapons, and made sure all her harnesses and belts were secure. Erin crept down from the top bunk and stood in front of the warm black shape that was Nadia.

"Just…" Erin paused for a moment, then threw her arms around her friend's waist and squeezed. "Be careful. Please." Nadia hugged her back.

"Don't wait up. I'll come back with some ice cream and we'll braid our hair and bitch about everyone like we always do."

Erin snickered and pulled back to climb back into bed. Nadia helped push her up, then she was out the window before Erin's head hit the pillow.

* * *

Crowley waited. He knew she'd be coming soon to loot his home. And when she did, he'd make her an offer so generous she'd have to accept. He wouldn't work her soul into the deal just yet. All he wanted for now was her servitude.

He heard her lockpicking tools clicking around in the deadbolt to his office. Right on time.

* * *

Nadia exhaled as she heard the deadbolt open. Silent as the grave, she slipped into the grand office and looked around through her night vision goggles. Before she could make out the shape behind the desk, she was blinded by all the lights clicking on.

"GODDAMNIT," she screamed as she threw off the goggles. Once her senses came back, she didn't think twice before she dove for the nearest window.

 _SHIT, they're locked!_ She felt someone behind her and reached for her dagger, but the stranger was quicker. Strong hands twisted her arms behind her back, and she let out a pained cry.

"Calm down, promise to keep your hands where I can see them, and I'll let you go," the stranger breathed into her ear. His voice was rich, husky, and had a velvety smooth English accent that bordered on Cockney. Her head spun with pain, and she swore she smelled that mossy, rainy campfire smell from before. He tightened his hold and she whimpered.

"Promise, love."

She nodded.

"I promise! Please! You're hurting me."

"And you were about to steal from me, so we're almost even."

He released her and shoved her down onto the couch. She rubbed her wrists for a moment then held her hands up in defense. He stayed standing, and he smirked down at her with his hands in his pockets.

"Take off the hat."

Nadia removed her hat and tossed it to the floor, then raised her hands back up and finally met his gaze. Just like the man from earlier today, there was something familiar about him. She knew it was a different man, but still, she couldn't help feeling she knew him from somewhere. It was his eyes. She knew those eyes from somewhere.

* * *

Crowley thought for a moment that maybe she'd recognized him. Hell, she couldn't even sense what he was. It was almost better that she hadn't. He had to wonder, though… why?

He stepped closer and took her chin in his fingertips, gently tilting her head back and forth to get a look at her scalp tattoos. _Anti-possession sigil, various warding marks in demon and Enochian alike, a few Romanian words… wait._

A very powerful mind-erase spell looped along the edge of her mohawk. He couldn't know from looking at it what she meant to forget.

He released her chin, letting his thumb brush the corner of her lips before putting his hands back in his pockets. She closed her eyes and flinched like she was struck with a sudden headache. The spell on her scalp shimmered briefly.

"What's your name?"

Nadia opened her eyes and looked up at him again.

"Nadia."

"Nadia… ?"

"Romancek."

He pulled up a chair in front of her, their hazel eyes never breaking away from each other.

"Pleased to meet you, Nadia Romancek. Do you know who I am?" He straddled the chair and sat close to her, his knees resting against the couch cushion on either side of her legs. The little gypsy held his gaze defiantly, though she flinched back an inch.

"Nope. Just a damn clever mark."

He chuckled and crossed his arms over the back of the chair.

"The name's Crowley. Now, I figure this little event can go one of two ways. Option A: I call the police and get your cute little bum put behind bars for a _very_ long time. How's that sound?"

Nadia glared at him.

"Sounds like shit. What's Option B?"

"I give you a job."

* * *

Nadia had to have misheard him. Without thinking, she dropped her hands in her lap.

"… Well, I wasn't expecting that," she admitted. "What do you mean, 'a job'?"

Crowley smirked and stood back up to return the chair.

"Just that, a job. Tax forms, official paychecks, et cetera. Something to keep you out of Camino Nuevo. Something legitimate. Scotch?"

Nadia crossed her arms and legs. She was suspicious, and she was more than happy to let him know that with her body language. So he knew she was in Camino Nuevo. For some reason, that didn't surprise her. She'd bet ten years that he set this whole thing up.

"Not yet. What kind of job? And what's the catch?"

She watched him as he shrugged, smiled, and poured two glasses of scotch.

"Housekeeping. Cleaning, cooking… reinforcing security. Bodyguard duty. And possibly a few not-so-legal jobs here and there. You'll get regular paychecks to keep the State of New Mexico off your back, and any 'extra-curricular' work will be paid in cash, under the table. You'll have an apartment of your own within my home, a 'company car', and a credit card, for any business-related purchases."

This couldn't be good. Not one bit.

"Still not hearing the catch."

He handed her a glass of scotch. She took it, but didn't drink.

"Just the standard legal mumbo. You work for me and only me, you live and work here all day, all night. Well, you'll get time off of course, I can't work you more than forty hours a week, after all. Days off will be spent here, or you'll be accompanied by one of my goons."

Nadia sighed and looked down at her drink.

"One way or another, I'll be in prison. Just a nicer one, that's all."

She felt the couch shift as Crowley sat next to her, giving her a few feet of space.

"Oh come now, love. Wait 'til you see the apartment. Certainly better than a cell. I've got a full gym in the basement, too. Sauna, pool…"

She turned to look at him and caught his eyes roaming her body.

"… hot tub." His eyes met hers, and the heat behind them made her heart stop. She shot up off the couch and stalked to the other side of the room. She needed space from him, but she couldn't escape the feeling of his eyes on her.

"I won't be your whore, so you can stop with that shit before it starts." She turned and shot a look at him. He lifted his hands in defense and looked away.

"Sorry, darling. I can't help but appreciate your beauty, and you do have it in spades. I promise I won't make any untoward advances. Unless you initiate them, that is." His eyes snapped back to hers. _That damn hazel… where have I seen those eyes?_

She looked down at her scotch and fidgeted with her glass.

"Can I get my stuff from the halfway house and say goodbye?"

Warm hands closed around hers, stilling her nervous fingers.

"Of course, love," he purred. He leaned down to her ear, and when she felt the softest brush of his lips against it, she shivered. "So… do we have a deal?"

Nadia pulled back and downed her scotch, wincing as it burned its way down her throat and sent tingles to every extremity.

"Yeah. Deal."

* * *

Author: Oh shit. Shit just got real, yo.


	3. Chapter 3: About a Boy and a Girl

**Chapter 3: About a Boy and a Girl**

 **Warning:** Sexual situations involving teens. But it takes place in the 1600's, so as far as I'm concerned, they're adults. Thirty-five was old back then.

 _Scotland, 1679 – Nadia, 16_

 _Nadia's chest heaved as she hid behind the thick trunk of the giant oak tree. A young man's rich Scottish brogue drifted in on the wind, over the stone walls and between the old, crumbling tombstones._

 _"Oy! Lass! Where'd you get to?" he bellowed._

 _The leggy little gypsy tried to stifle a giggle. The breeze plucked daisy petals from her hair and carried them away._

 _"I'll find you sooner or later, love. Better be sooner, or your pert little arse'll get a smack!"_

 _Oh, no. Nadia couldn't resist._

 _"Promise?"_

 _She waited, and listened._

 _And listened. The entire graveyard seemed to go quiet. No footsteps, no nothing. Her breathing had slowed, and still the quiet made each exhale a lion's roar._

 _"Fergus?" Her heartbeat in her ears was loud and hard, like her father's drums. It scared her even more._

 _"Fergus," she hissed, "stop this."_

 _Nadia couldn't take it any longer. Even the wind held its breath as the gypsy girl flattened her body against the mighty oak and peeked around and under a low branch._

 _"GOTCHA!"_

 _"AAAAAAAHH DAMN YOU FERGUS! DAMN YOU TO H—" Nadia's scream was silenced by Scottish lips on hers, and rough tailor's fingers felt every hem, thread, and cord; they tugged, pulled, and undid her in more ways than one. Her fingers trembled as they unlaced his trousers and pushed them down his thighs._

 _"Mmm, good girl," he groaned against her throat. He hoisted her legs around his hips and pushed her skirts up around her waist. He pressed her against the tree and kissed her jaw. "My bonnie gypsy lass." He rested his forehead against hers and brought both hands to her face._

 _It began to rain, and while the oak provided shelter, water goes where it will. In less than a moment, the lovers were tasting fresh rain on each others' lips. Fergus pulled back to look into her eyes._

 _"Are you ready, love?"_

 _Nadia reached around to the back of his head and nestled her fingertips in his hair and nodded. "Yes, Fergus. I'm always ready for you."_

 _He smirked and rested his brow against hers again, tenderly thumbing the corner of her mouth._

 _In one swift thrust, he filled the empty ache in her. She gasped at the sudden intrusion, and Fergus began to move against her. It wasn't long before they both reached their bliss, and the skies thundered in applause._


End file.
